Decentralized method for manufacturing hearing aid devices

• US 7,162,323 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hearing Aid Express, Synygis, LLC
• Original Assignee: Hearing Aid Express, Inc. (Ear Level Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brumback, Mark A., Potter, Dustin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard; Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Douglas S.
• Application Number:
  US10/959,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20050222823A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• Field of Search: 700/118, 700/163, 700/182, 345/420, 715/700, 703/13
• US Class Current: 700/118
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

Method for manufacturing custom fit ear pieces, such as hearing aid devices, by using rapid prototyping machinery in a decentralized location to provide custom fit ear pieces to patients within a few hours rather than a few days or weeks.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing ear pieces comprising the steps of,

collecting information from a patient upon arrival at an ear piece dispensing location;

determining a mathematical model of a shape of a portion of said patient'"'"'s ear at said ear piece dispensing location;

producing an ear piece shell having an outer shape representative of said portion of said patient'"'"'s ear using a machine controlled by said mathematical model at said location;

delivering said ear piece shell to said patient at said ear piece dispensing location within forty-eight hours after arrival of said patient at said dispensing location.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein

said portion of said patient'"'"'s ear is an ear canal of said patient.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein

said step of delivering said ear piece shell to said patient at said ear piece dispensing location occur within three and one-half hours after arrival of said patient at said dispensing location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein

said machine in a rapid prototyping machine.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein

said step of determining a mathematical model of a patient'"'"'s ear canal includes the steps of,

creating a physical model of said ear canal, and

scanning said physical model to determine said mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein

said step of determining a mathematical model of a patient'"'"'s ear includes the step of,

direct scanning of said patient'"'"'s ear to determine said mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of,

inserting an electronic module within said ear piece shell prior to placing said ear piece in said patient'"'"'s ear.

8. A method for dispensing ear pieces comprising the steps of,

collecting information from a patient upon arrival at an ear piece dispensing location;

determining a mathematical model of said an ear canal of said patient at said ear dispensing location;

producing an ear piece shell having an outer shape representative of said ear canal using a machine controlled by said mathematical model, wherein said machine is at a different location from said ear piece dispensing location;

delivering said ear piece shell to said patient within forty-eight hours from said arrival of said patient.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein,

said machine is a rapid prototyping machine.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein,

said mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal is determined by creating a physical model of said ear canal and scanning said physical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein,

said mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal is determined by direct scanning of said patient'"'"'s ear canal.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of,

inserting or attaching an electronic module with said ear piece shell prior to delivering said ear piece to said patient.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein,

said delivery step for delivering said ear piece shell to said patient occurs within three and one-half hours from said arrival of said patient.

14. A method for dispensing ear pieces comprising the steps of,

collecting information from a patient upon arrival at an ear piece dispensing location;

obtaining an ear impression of an ear canal of said patient;

delivering said ear impression to a separate manufacturing location that is in the same city or metropolitan region as in said ear-piece dispensing location;

scanning said ear impression to produce a scanned information file representative of said ear canal;

creating an ear piece design from said scanned information file at said manufacturing location;

manufacturing said ear piece using said ear piece design with a rapid prototyping machine; and

delivering said ear piece to said dispensing location within three and one-half hours from said arrival of said patient.

15. A method for dispensing ear pieces comprising,

first, determining a mathematical model of a patient'"'"'s ear canal at an ear piece dispensing location;

next, producing an ear piece shell having an outer shape representative of said ear canal using a rapid prototyping machine controlled by said mathematical model at said location;

while said ear piece shell is being produced, conducing a hearing test of said patient'"'"'s ear canal to produce an amplitude versus frequency response representative of said patient'"'"'s hearing;

producing an electronic module that improves said patient'"'"'s amplitude versus frequency hearing response;

inserting or attaching said electronic module with said ear piece shell;

placing said ear piece shell with said electronic module inserted therein in said patient'"'"'s ear within three and one-half hours from the step of determining said mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal.

16. A method of dispensing ear pieces comprising,

first, determining a mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal at an ear piece dispensing location;

next, producing an ear piece shell having an outer shape representative of said ear canal using a machine controlled by said mathematical model;

while said ear piece shell is being produced, conducting a hearing test of said patient'"'"'s ear canal to produce an amplitude versus frequency response representative of said patient'"'"'s hearing;

producing an electronic module that improves said patient'"'"'s amplitude versus frequency hearing response;

inserting said electronic module within said ear piece;

placing said ear piece with said electronic module inserted therein in said patient'"'"'s ear within forty-eight hours from the step of determining said mathematical model of said patient'"'"'s ear canal.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein,

said ear piece shell is produced by said machine which is located at said ear dispensing location.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein,

said ear piece shell produced by said machine which is located at a different building from said ear dispensing location.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein,

said ear piece shell is produced by said machine which is located in the same city or metropolitan region as said ear dispensing location.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein,

said machine is a rapid prototyping machine.

21. A method for dispensing ear pieces comprising the steps of,

collecting information from a patient upon arrival at an ear piece dispensing location;

scanning an ear canal of said patient at said dispensing location to create a scanned data file;

transferring said scanned data file to a separate manufacturing location that is in the same city or metropolitan region as in said ear piece dispensing location;

creating an ear piece design from said scanned information file at said manufacturing location;

manufacturing said ear piece using said ear piece design with a rapid prototype machine at said manufacturing location; and

delivering said ear piece to said dispensing location within three and one-half hours from said arrival of said patient.